1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to straddle-type vehicles including an air cleaner that supplies clean air to the engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Straddle-type vehicles including an air cleaner for supplying clean air to the engine are known. In such a straddle-type vehicle, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. JP S63-128262, an element holder is attached by a screw to a fixing means fixed to the surrounding edge of the opening of the induction passage. A cup-shaped air cleaner element is mounted on the element holder to cover its outer side.
In the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. JP S63-128262, the element holder includes an engagement portion for engaging with a seal of the fixing means. In the area of this engaging portion, the edge of the air cleaner element is tucked into its inner side. Thus, as the element holder with the air cleaner element attached to it is attached to the fixed means by a screw, as discussed above, the edge of the air cleaner element is sandwiched by the element holder and the seal of the fixing means.
In the case of a convex solid cleaner element, such as the air cleaner element disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. JP S63-128262, the support frame for supporting the cleaner element is formed by a frame member with an outer frame. As such, the outline of the cleaner element, defined by the periphery of the cleaner element adjacent to which the outer frame of the support frame is located, is dependent on the diameter of the outer frame of the support frame and the thickness of the cleaner element. The design of the outer frame of the support frame is dependent on the desired strength and the size of the opening in which the cleaner element is located, for example. The thickness of the cleaner element is dependent on the desired air cleaning functionality and durability. Since the dimensions of the outline defined by the periphery of the cleaner element depend on the performance and other properties, it is difficult to reduce the size of the air cleaner.
The thickness of the portions of the air cleaner adjacent to which the outer frame of the support frame is located may be reduced by providing a separate member made of rubber, for example, that has no air cleaning function at the periphery of the cleaner element. However, such an arrangement has a smaller region that possesses the function of a cleaner element, resulting in reduced air cleaning functionality of the air cleaner.